Search Genesee County Court Records

How to Search Genesee County Court Records

The main search tool is MiCOURT Case Search, the State Court Administrative Office's public portal. Genesee County has three separate court codes on MiCOURT. The 7th Circuit Court is code C07. The 67th District Court is code D67. The Genesee Probate Court is code P25. Pick the right code first. If you pick the wrong court, you will miss the case even if it exists.

Have the case number ready if you have it. A case number is the fastest, cleanest way to find a file. If you only have a name, plan to use last name plus first name, and add date of birth if the field is available and you are entitled to enter it. Public results show case status, parties, and docket events, but they do not usually include full pleadings or images. Older 67th District Court records have a special rule. Anything filed before July 31, 2014 must be requested through the District Court's records process because of Michigan's Automatic Clean Slate law.

1. Open the MiCOURT court URL for the right Genesee court (C07 for Circuit, D67 for District, P25 for Probate).
2. Accept the public access disclaimer when shown and pass the hCaptcha challenge if it appears.
3. Choose a search type. Use case number for the cleanest result. Otherwise enter last name, then first name, and date of birth if available.
4. Run the search. Review the rows for case number, party names, court, filing date, status, and next hearing.
5. Open the case detail to see the Register of Actions, party roles, hearings, charges or claims, and disposition.
6. Request certified copies or sealed-case review from the right court office. For Circuit, the Legal Records Division handles it. For District, use the 67th District Court records page. For Probate, use the Probate Records Office.

The official Genesee County government site lists every department by category and provides a clean entry point into Clerk, Sheriff, and Court navigation. The image below shows the county home page in its current public layout.

Once you land on the county page, court records access splits by court type. That split is the most common point of confusion for people searching Genesee County court records for the first time.

The Genesee County Judicial System

Michigan runs a unified "One Court of Justice." The Michigan Judiciary sits at the top, followed by the trial courts at the local level. In Genesee County, three trial courts work side by side. The 7th Judicial Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction court. The 67th District Court is the limited-jurisdiction court. The Genesee County Probate Court handles probate and mental-health matters.

The Circuit Court hears felony criminal cases, civil cases over the district-court limit, domestic relations, family division matters, juvenile cases, personal protection orders, and appeals from lower courts. The District Court handles misdemeanors, traffic, civil infractions, preliminary felony examinations, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims. Probate is separate because estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and involuntary mental-health treatment are specialized.

Case flow: 67th District Court › 7th Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court

The image below shows the Michigan trial court structure page from the state judiciary site.

The Michigan trial court structure page explains how Circuit, District, and Probate Courts fit together, which is the same framework used in Genesee County.

Genesee County Courthouses

The county's main court cluster sits along South Saginaw Street in downtown Flint. The Circuit Court directions page says the courthouse is off I-69 and identifies it by the Civil War cannons on the lawn. Four buildings on South Saginaw Street cover almost every court-related function in the county.

The Genesee County Jail / Sheriff's Office sits at 1002 South Saginaw Street, Flint, MI 48502, completing the downtown court cluster. The courthouse history page tracks the building back to 1838, when Wait Beach deeded a two-acre parcel for a courthouse and public square; the present 1926 courthouse will mark its centennial in 2026.

Types of Court Records Available in Genesee County

Genesee County court records cover the full life of a case, from filing through final order. Each court keeps its own set. Circuit, District, and Probate are not pooled into one giant file room. The Circuit Court's Legal Records Division is the public access point for civil, criminal, and domestic case filings in the 7th Circuit. The 67th District Court keeps its own records and runs its own request system through the McCree Building. Probate has a dedicated Probate Records Office.

Most case types fall into clear buckets. Knowing which bucket helps you start in the right court and avoid wasted trips.

• Criminal records - Felonies in Circuit Court after bindover; misdemeanors and preliminary felonies in District Court arrest records.
• Civil records - Larger civil cases in Circuit; smaller civil, landlord-tenant, and small claims in District.
• Family / divorce records - Divorce, custody, support, and PPO cases in Circuit Court's family division.
• Probate records - Estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental-health matters in Probate Court P25.
• Traffic records - Citations and traffic crimes in 67th District Court; the court has special ticket-prefix rules after August 1, 2014.

What Genesee County Court Records Show

A MiCOURT case detail page typically lists header data, party roles, attorneys, and a chronological list of events called the Register of Actions. Public-facing fields are not the same as the full case file. Documents, sealed cases, set-aside cases, and juvenile matters are restricted. What appears for the public covers the basics needed to find, identify, and follow a case.

Personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, minor names, and medical records is redacted under court rules.

Public Access Laws for Genesee County Court Records

Michigan's open-records framework is split. The state's Freedom of Information Act applies to county-government public bodies. Courts are governed mostly by Michigan Court Rule 8.119 and SCAO records standards, not by FOIA. That means a request to the Clerk for a county-government record uses FOIA. A request to the Circuit Court or District Court for a case file uses the court records request process. Both routes give broad public access, but each has its own fee table and timing rules.

The image below links to the MCL 15.231 page, which states the policy behind the Michigan FOIA.

The set-aside statute drives a large portion of what does and does not show up on a Genesee County criminal record under Michigan's Clean Slate framework.

Records That Are Restricted or Confidential

Public access in Genesee County is broad but not absolute. Several record categories are restricted by Michigan statute, court rule, or sealing order. MCL 712A.28 restricts juvenile case records and social files. MCL 710.67 makes adoption records confidential. MCL 330.1748 protects mental-health information held under the Michigan Mental Health Code. Sealed cases under MCR 8.119(I) require a judge's findings before public details disappear.

Set-aside convictions under MCL 780.621 remove a conviction from public criminal history, but a set-aside for a traffic offense does not always clear the Secretary of State driving record. The state's MCL 780.621c spells out which convictions cannot be set aside at all, and MCL 780.621d sets the waiting periods for the rest. To view a sealed record or one that has been set aside, a party generally has to petition the convicting court and meet specific statutory standards.

The image below links to the MCL 710.67 page on adoption record confidentiality.

Adoption files in Genesee County Probate Court fall under this statute, which is why those files are not searchable like a typical estate case.

Specialty Courts in Genesee County

The Circuit Court runs four problem-solving programs through its Specialty Court Services office. Each program focuses on treatment and accountability rather than punishment. The 67th District Court adds a fifth program at the misdemeanor and OWI level.

• Veterans Treatment Court - Serves military veterans facing criminal charges who have service-related trauma, PTSD, or substance-use disorders.
• Mental Health Court - Handles cases where justice involvement is tied to a severe and persistent mental-health condition.
• Adult Felony Recovery Court - Also called Drug Court; serves people facing felony charges related to substance use.
• Family Dependency Treatment Court - Helps parents with substance-use disorders who are at risk of losing custody of their children.
• 67th District Sobriety Court - OWI-focused program with a $300 program fee, $840 in probation oversight fees, and a possible Sobriety Court Restricted License after Phase 1.

Specialty Court referrals go to SpecialtyCourtReferrals@GeneseeCountyMI.gov along with the SCAO Specialty Court Referral Fillable PDF and police reports. The court requires the referral within seven days of the prior pretrial hearing.

Note: Problem-solving courts follow Michigan SCAO best-practice standards and All Rise key components, and they are funded with a mix of federal and state grants.

Genesee County Sheriff and Jail

Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson leads the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's site describes GCSO as the fifth largest Sheriff's Office in Michigan and identifies Sheriff Swanson as a career officer with nearly three decades of experience across corrections, patrol, narcotics, investigations, and command operations. The Genesee County Jail sits at 1002 South Saginaw Street, Flint, MI 48502, directly south of the courthouse cluster.

For active custody status, the safest path is direct jail contact or VINELink, since the official sheriff site does not expose a public online roster. The District Court's bond procedure page lists 810-257-3426 as the automated line for bond amount in 67th District Court criminal cases. For people sentenced to state prison or supervision, the Michigan DOC OTIS system is the right tool. For full custody details, fee accounts, and visitation, see the Genesee County inmate records page, and for active warrants see the warrant records page.

Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records

Three different offices handle these three different record types. Marriage records and license applications go through the County Clerk/Register Vital Records Division at 324 South Saginaw Street. Divorce cases are Circuit Court family-division records, searchable in MiCOURT C07 and requested through the Legal Records Division. Probate matters belong to the Genesee County Probate Court at MiCOURT P25. For deeper detail on marriage license process and divorce file requests, see marriage and divorce records.

Testator

The person who made a will that is now in probate.

Executor / Personal Representative

The person named to administer a deceased estate.

Conservator

Person appointed by Probate Court to manage another adult's property.

Guardian

Person responsible for the care or decisions of a minor or incapacitated adult.

Fiduciary

Anyone with a legal duty over an estate or protected person's interests.

Genesee County Court Records Fees

Each Genesee court office sets its own fee table. The Circuit Court Legal Records Division links a filing-fees page from its main records page. The 67th District Court points users to its records request form for pre-07/31/2014 cases. The Probate Court Fees page publishes its own list. The County Clerk's Vital Records Division has a separate fee structure for marriage, birth, and death certified copies. Confirm fee amounts at the right office before submitting payment.

The image below links to the Michigan SCAO Court Data Dashboard, which publishes Michigan court statistics including Genesee County data.

The dashboard is useful when a user wants to compare Genesee County court filings against state norms.

How to Read Genesee County Court Records

Docket entries use a short, court-specific shorthand. A line that says "Arraignment scheduled" and another that says "PE waived" tells a reader the case skipped the preliminary examination and was bound over to Circuit Court. "OR" means released on personal recognizance. "DISP" or "JOS" usually flags disposition or judgment of sentence. The full Genesee County court records guide goes through each event line by line.

The hardest read for most people is the difference between a charge and a conviction. A charge is what the prosecutor filed. A conviction is what came out of a plea or verdict. A pending case shows charges with no disposition. A dismissed case shows a charge that did not become a conviction. A set-aside case may show as restricted or removed entirely. The Register of Actions is the place to confirm this; the case caption alone is not enough.

Accuracy and Record Limitations

MiCOURT updates run on each court's own schedule. A judgment entered in court today may not appear in MiCOURT until the clerk's office posts the order. Older records, especially in 67th District Court before July 31, 2014, are not on MiCOURT at all because of Automatic Clean Slate. Anyone relying on a Genesee County court record for a legal purpose, like a background check, real estate closing, or licensing application, should verify directly with the originating court office before acting on the data.

History of Genesee County Courts

The Michigan Territorial Legislative Council recognized Genesee County as a governmental body in 1835. Courthouse Square has housed the Circuit Court since 1838, when Wait Beach deeded a two-acre parcel for a courthouse and public square. The first courthouse went up that same year. The present historic courthouse is the 1926 building. It is on the national and state registers of historic sites, and the Circuit Court home page says the structure will mark its centennial in 2026.

The 1926 courthouse contained three monumental murals by Edgar Spier Cameron. Cameron's identity was unknown for decades until a 2003 art-conservation lead connected the courthouse murals to him through a reference in "Who's Who in American Art." Flint artist Stefan Davidek and his family restored the murals and the historic third- and fifth-floor courtrooms. Davidek also recreated one lost Cameron mural in Courtroom No. 1/308 from a single black-and-white photograph of the 1926 grand opening. The Genesee County Bar Association and private patrons funded that recreation. The image below links to the official courthouse history page.

The court unveiled a completed judicial portrait gallery in 2007 alongside the final restored Davidek mural.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I search Genesee County court records online?

Use MiCOURT Case Search. Pick C07 for the 7th Circuit Court, D67 for the 67th District Court, or P25 for the Genesee County Probate Court. Search by case number when you can; otherwise use last name and first name with date of birth if available. For 67th District Court records filed before July 31, 2014, the court directs users to its written request process because of Automatic Clean Slate.

Where is the main courthouse?

The Historic Genesee County Courthouse is at 900 South Saginaw Street, Flint, MI 48502, at the corner of Court and Saginaw Streets in downtown Flint. The Circuit Court directions page lists Civil War cannons on the lawn as the easiest visual landmark. The building is off I-69 and approachable from all four highway directions.

Which court handles felony cases?

Felonies start in the 67th District Court for arraignment and preliminary examination. After bindover, the case moves to the 7th Circuit Court for trial and sentencing. The 7th Circuit handles all felony criminal cases in Genesee County. The case number changes at bindover, so a person tracking a case may need to search both D67 and C07 in MiCOURT.

Are juvenile records public in Michigan?

Generally no. MCL 712A.28 and the related court rules restrict juvenile delinquency and child-protective records. Parties, attorneys, agencies, and individuals with explicit court permission may have access. The general public usually does not. Adoption records under MCL 710.67 are also confidential except through statutory confidential-intermediary or court procedures.

More on the Genesee County Court Records FAQ page.